MA Musical Theatre - Musical Directing

MA Musical Directing

The MA Musical Directing pathway is designed to support the development of skills and creative thought for musicians with a passion for theatre. As a Masters student, you will study the musical landscape, engage in practice-based-research and explore your own potential as a contributor to the future of the art form.

The programme is closely linked with the industry and this ensures that you acquire the practical skills to support a sustained and varied career. Through specialised and focused conservatoire-level training, specific attention will be paid to:

• Keyboard skills
• Conducting skills
• Scoring and arranging techniques
• Vocal technique and repertoire coaching, Programming and Sound

These one-to-one classes are designed to build your skill and experience as a musical director in the varying areas relevant to the form. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects matched to your specific interests and goals. Projects could include:

• Musical Director, arranger and orchestrator of the RCS Christmas Concert
• Musical Director of our BA Musical Theatre Glasgow and London Showcases
• Musical Director on the development of new and commissioned work
• Assistant Musical Director across fully produced BA Musical Theatre and Actor Muso shows
• Musical Director of a Cabaret season, Musical Directing roles on a season of work produced for the Edinburgh Festival FringeOur audition content is being updated for entry in September 2023 and will be shared soon, if you have any questions in the meantime please e-mail admissions@rcs.ac.uk.

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Term one

The year will start with a similar skills-focused term, with high-level taught classes across the 5 key skills areas of keyboard, conducting, scoring and arranging, voice and sound. These will be supplemented with introductory sessions in repertoire coaching, facilitation of Performance classes and Artist in Development seminars, through which you’ll be encouraged to set your own goals and work autonomously and collaboratively towards achieving them. This will lead into the first Project of the year to be negotiated in consultation with your Personal supervisor and Industry mentor; Options to include, roles across the RCS Christmas Concert, our BA3 Studio theatre Production and the BA3 Acting programme Christmas Show.

 

Term two

Integration of the 5 core musical direction skills will continue through project work in Term 2. You’ll work with both faculty and industry mentors to challenge your process across different styles/forms, with a focus on exploring varying rehearsal environments and creative teams. Project-work through term 2 becomes the priority with Musical direction opportunities across the BA3 Actor musician production, the BA3 Industry Showcase, the MA and BA company scenes work. Skills classes, repertoire coaching sessions, performance classes and Artist in Development workshops continue, with an embedded focus on personal sustainability and well-being.

 

Term three

 Similar to the performers, our third term begins to look outwards and how you as individuals want to engage with audiences and industry professionals. There is space created in this term for a more creative and autonomous focus within skills, while Musical directing Project opportunities are negotiated from our Cabaret Season, the BA3 Mainstage Production or across the BA new work module. Preparations will begin for the Term 4 and professional practice will be developed through industry masterclass and panel events.

 

Term four

The final term culminates in the rehearsal and performance of a fully realised musical at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This project is designed to replicate the demands of a professional experience of rehearsing and performing in a musical over a sustained period of time.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is consistently ranked in the World Top 10 for performing arts education (QS World Rankings 2023)

• Full year of intensive training, supported by an experienced team of in-house and external industry professionals
• Small class sizes with high contact time. One-to-one lessons in singing, repertoire and mentor sessions
• Programme design that prioritises experiential learning and self-determined pathways
• Collaborative and inter-disciplinary opportunities, such as can only be found within the particular conservatoire environment we provide
• New musical development workshops with industry creatives and collaborative partners
• Full season of performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
• Regular contact with industry professionals and mentors
• 94% of performance graduate respondents are in employment or further study (HESA, 2017/18)
• 100% of musical direction graduate responses are in employment or further study (HESA, 2017/18)

Head of Musical Theatre (Academic Lead)

Jane Hensey

Through your studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, you will receive support and guidance from staff, external specialists and industry professionals. The staff tutors and their team will manage your day-to-day skills base development while external directors and musical directors will work with you in performance classes and project work. Each student will also meet many visiting practitioners in order to support network opportunities and contacts with industry professionals.

Teaching staff

• David Higham – Associate Head of Musical Theatre (Music)
• Gordon Adams – Discipline Lead, Singing and Performance
• Ruth Mills – Discipline Lead, Dance
• Jean Sangster – Head of Voice (SDDPF) and the Centre for Voice in Performance (CViP)

 

Musical Directors Mentors

• David Higham
• Pete Woollard
• Hilary Brooks
• Amy Shackcloth
• Nick Finlow
• Stuart Morley
• Ted Arthur

 

Keyboard Skills

David Higham, Laura McIntosh, Pete Woollard

 

Conducting

Richard Lewis, Andrew Nunn

 

Scoring and Arranging

Oli Searle, Chris Greive

 

Sound and Programming

Chris Pugh

 

 

Classes take place across the two Royal Conservatoire of Scotland buildings. Core classes take place in our purpose-built dance studios and drama/voice rooms at either Renfrew Street or the award-winning Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks. Research, reflective practice and professional practice subjects are taught in a fully-equipped student IT suite and supported by one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of performance materials for dance, drama, music, production and film in the Whittaker Library.

The Wallace Studios at Speirs Locks has been developed to include eight purpose-built multi-functional dance and drama rehearsal spaces which will be utilized for all major productions — allowing a fully integrated professional rehearsal process with onsite production and technical team involvement.

External venues used by the programme have included Tron Theatre, Scottish Youth Theatre, The Whiskey Bond and Sloans.

All of our training is geared towards preparing you for a sustainable and long lasting professional career. Graduates of the programme are working around the world; in London’s West End, on Broadway, on international tours, and for renowned companies including the National Theatre of Scotland.

Some recent graduates include:

Performance

• Eu Jin Hwang The King and I (National tour)
• George Arvidson Evita (West End) and Carousel (Pitlochry Festival Theatre)
• Rebecca Faulkenberry Rock of Ages, Spiderman and High School Musical (Broadway)
• Keisha Fraser Colour Purple and Book of Mormon (West End)
• Scott Garnham Les Misérables, I Can’t Sing (West End), Billy Elliot (national tour)
• Aaron Lee Lambert Shrek, Urinetown (West End), Sister Act (National tour)
• Tom Mackley Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (West End)
• John McLarnon We Will Rock You, The Commitments (West End), Apologia and Outlander

Musical Directing

• Alan Bukowiecki The Book of Mormon (Broadway), Chicago and Hair (US National tour)
• Andrea Grody The Band’s Visit (Broadway)
• James Simpson Lion King (Singapore), Aladdin (Australia)
• Amy Shackcloth Company (West End), Pinocchio and Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (NTS and National Theatre), Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK and National tours)
• Claire McKenzie Award-winning composer and co-founder of Noisemaker
• Tamara Saringer Vanities the Musical, the Life (West End), Me and My Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre)

 

Testimonials

Christmas at the Conservatoire

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Legacy: A Mother’s Song

Legacy: Book of Names

Tuition fees for academic year 2024/25

You can find tuition fees for entry in September 2024 on our fees and funding page.

 

Scottish

New Scottish domiciled students may be eligible for a Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan. All eligible students will be able to apply directly to Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for a non-means-tested loan. See the SAAS website for further details of the PSAS scheme. Scottish domiciled postgraduate students on eligible courses can also apply for a Postgraduate Living Cost Loan up to £4,500 towards living expenses. This is in addition to the existing loan available towards the cost of their tuition fees.

English

Postgraduate students from England can benefit from a postgraduate loan to be used towards tuition fees and/or living costs.

Northern Irish

Students from Northern Ireland may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan to help with the cost of their course fees. Please see the Student Finance NI website for more details.

 

Welsh

From 1 August 2019, students ordinarily resident in Wales (and those from the EU studying at a Welsh institution) may be entitled to a combination of loan and grant as a contribution to costs while studying a postgraduate Master’s degree course. The total amount of support available is non-means-tested and is paid directly to the student. Please see the Student Finance Wales website for more details.

 

EU Students

The Royal Conservatoire is resolutely international in outlook and we celebrate and are enriched by the diversity of our community of students and staff. Students from across the globe are welcome and valued members of the RCS community and we continue to welcome applicants from across the EU and throughout the world.

Q: What is the fee situation for EU students?

A: On July 9 2020, Scotland’s Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, Richard Lochhead announced changes to the fee regime for EU students studying in Scotland. From 2021/22, all EU students commencing study in Scotland will pay fees at the International rate.

Q: I’m an EU student looking to start my studies in 2024/25. How does this impact me?

A: From academic year 2021/22 onwards, all EU students commencing study in Scotland will pay fees at the International rate.

Only EU nationals who are ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ in the UK will remain eligible to apply for home tuition fees providing they meet the residency conditions.

Other EU nationals and associated groups, starting a course of study in 24/25 are not eligible to apply to SAAS for tuition fee support.

Because of a long-standing agreement between the UK and Republic of Ireland, new students from the Republic of Ireland will be eligible to pay the rest of UK (RUK) fee and will be able to access a tuition fee loan from SAAS.

Please also see the SAAS website for more information.

Scholarships

Any potential student who auditions for a place at the Royal Conservatoire will automatically be considered for a scholarship. They are awarded on a combination of talent, potential and financial need. More information about Scholarships is available on our Fees and Funding page.

 

Sources of external funding

For more information about alternative funding sources, including external scholarships and bursaries, please visit our Fees and Funding page.

The Conservatoire’s International and Student Experience team are available to advise and assist applicants and current students in respect of queries about funding your studies at the Conservatoire. Please email or telephone +44 (0)141 270 8281/ +44 (0)141 270 8223 for further information.

 

Cost of Living and Associated Programme Costs

Our admissions processes are designed to be fair, transparent and efficient. The audition/interview approach serves the dual nature of allowing the panel to assess first-hand an applicant’s suitability for their chosen programme and it also affords the applicant the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the nature of that programme and the opportunities offered by the RCS.

In arriving at its recommendation, the audition/interview panel will take account of all aspects of the applicant’s profile i.e.:

• Performance at audition/interview
• Commitment to the particular programme
• Potential to benefit from the programme
• Academic qualifications
• Personal statement
• Performance qualifications
• Performance/practical experience
• References
• Contextualised data

General Academic entrance requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold an appropriate undergraduate degree, or its overseas equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme.

 

Language of Study

The language of study is English. Applicants who first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. We accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Level 7.5 (with a score of 7.5 in speaking) is required.

Non-standard Entry

We welcome applications from individuals whose academic qualifications or English language qualifications do not match (in terms of equivalence) or fall short of the normal entrance requirements, where specified*. Having satisfied the Audition Panel that they meet the selection criteria and demonstrated that they have the capacity to pursue the proposed course of study, such applicants will be considered through examination of contextualised data provided in accordance with the Non-Standard Entry Policy. The appropriate Head of Department/ Programme will make a case in support of the applicant for consideration by the Directors of the Schools and Convener of the Quality and Standards Committee.

*Note that UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) imposes minimum English Language qualifications in respect of international (non-EU) applicants who require a Tier 4 Visa to study in the UK.

Mature Students

RCS welcomes applications from mature students, i.e. students over the age of 21 at entry to the programme. Whilst the selection procedures will still be applied, consideration will be given to appropriate artistic experience not normally expected in school leavers, which is deemed to compensate for any lack of traditional entrance qualifications. Successful mature applicants, as for all other applicants, must convince auditioning panels that they have the ability and potential to cope with the demands of the programme. Their progress, especially in the early stages of the programme, will be closely monitored and appropriate advice and support given.

 

 

Apply via UCAS conservatoires

Applications are made through UCAS Conservatoires website. The UCAS Conservatoires application system is separate from the main UCAS undergraduate application system. If you wish to apply to conservatoires and universities within UCAS, you will need to register for both services.

There is a UCAS application fee of £27.50 to register to use UCAS Conservatoires.

To begin a new UCAS Conservatoires application, you will need to register. You can read the UCAS Conservatoires’ advice on completing the UCAS Conservatoires application.

If you need assistance with your application, you can contact UCAS Conservatoires team by telephoning (Monday to Friday, 8.30 — 18.00). Phone 0371 468 0470 from within the UK or +44 330 3330 232 if you are calling from overseas.

Application deadline date

The closing date for all on time undergraduate applications from the UK, EU and International (non EU) is 31 January 2024. If you submit your application after this date, we cannot guarantee that you will be invited to audition.

If you do consider to submit a late application, please contact admissions@rcs.ac.uk in the first instance to check we are accepting late applications. Late applications will be considered on a case by case basis.

We do not offer deferred entry. If you wish to commence in 2024, you must apply next year.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland institution code is R58.

You will also require the following programme code to apply:

MA Musical Theatre (Musical Directing): 702F

Application fee

There is a UCAS Conservatoires application fee of £27.50. In addition to the application fee, each conservatoire charges an audition assessment administration fee. For RCS, the audition assessment administration fee is £55 per programme applied for. Fees are not refundable. The fees are paid via the UCAS Conservatoires website and not directly to RCS.

Audition Assessment Administration fee

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland charges an audition assessment administration fee of £55 per course.

We recognise that auditioning and interviewing for conservatoires, drama and ballet schools can be costly. The audition assessment administration fee charge allows us to offer a thorough and positive experience to all applicants and we encourage you to get in touch to ask the panel questions and find out more about the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to see if it is the best place for you.

References

It is your responsibility to ask two separate referees to write references and ensure that these are sent to RCS.

The references must be written by two different people and we will not accept references from family, other relatives or close friends. You can submit your UCAS Conservatoires application form and send your references at a later date, but they must be received prior to your audition date.

UCAS Conservatoires provides reference forms for you to download and send to your referees for completion.

Entrance requirements

Our admissions processes are designed to be fair, transparent and efficient. The audition/interview approach serves the dual nature of allowing the panel to assess first-hand an applicant’s suitability for their chosen programme and it also affords the applicant the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the nature of that programme and the opportunities offered by the RCS.

In arriving at its recommendation, the audition/interview panel will take account of all aspects of the applicant’s profile i.e.:

• Performance at audition/interview
• Commitment to the particular programme
• Potential to benefit from the programme
• Academic qualifications
• Personal statement
• Performance qualifications
• Performance/practical experience
• References
• Contextualised data

General Academic entrance requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold an appropriate undergraduate degree, or its overseas equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme.

Language of Study

The language of study is English. Applicants who first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. We accept the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Level 7.5 (with a score of 7.5 in speaking) is required.

Non-standard Entry

We welcome applications from individuals whose academic qualifications or English language qualifications do not match (in terms of equivalence) or fall short of the normal entrance requirements, where specified*. Having satisfied the Audition Panel that they meet the selection criteria and demonstrated that they have the capacity to pursue the proposed course of study, such applicants will be considered through examination of contextualised data provided in accordance with the Non-Standard Entry Policy. The appropriate Head of Department/ Programme will make a case in support of the applicant for consideration by the Directors of the Schools and Convener of the Quality and Standards Committee.

*Note that UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) imposes minimum English Language qualifications in respect of international (non-EU) applicants who require a Tier 4 Visa to study in the UK.

Mature Students

RCS welcomes applications from mature students, i.e. students over the age of 21 at entry to the programme. Whilst the selection procedures will still be applied, consideration will be given to appropriate artistic experience not normally expected in school leavers, which is deemed to compensate for any lack of traditional entrance qualifications. Successful mature applicants, as for all other applicants, must convince auditioning panels that they have the ability and potential to cope with the demands of the programme. Their progress, especially in the early stages of the programme, will be closely monitored and appropriate advice and support given.

Selection process

Applicants who apply on time (before 31 January 2024) are invited by email, approximately three weeks before the audition date, to RCS to undertake an audition/interview. All auditions/interviews will take place at RCS, in Glasgow, unless you have chosen to audition online. We have many years of experience of conducting online auditions and have a well-established format and process in place, so no applicant will be disadvantaged by auditioning in this manner. Please note that RCS is only obliged to offer one audition/interview date per application. Alternative dates will only be provided (subject to availability) in exceptional circumstances. If you are unable to make your allocated audition date, you should email us immediately stating the reason.

MA Musical Theatre (Musical Directing) and Professional Graduate Diploma in Musical Direction auditions will take place from February to April.

 

Recorded audition

If you are auditioning via video recording, please read the information in the Audition section before sending us your material. Prior to submitting a recorded audition, you must apply via UCAS Conservatoires. Recorded auditions and other relevant information can be easily submitted online using Acceptd. You will need to create an account, but then you can easily upload the recordings you wish to be considered. Recordings will not be considered until a UCAS Conservatoires application has been submitted. Once you have completed the UCAS Conservatoires application, you should proceed to Acceptd to submit your video recording. We will only accept recordings submitted via Acceptd and will not accept any other format, i.e. DVDs. Recordings should arrive by the 31 January 2024.

 

Audition

Once you apply, you will be emailed in due course with an audition date. All auditions/interviews will either take place at the RCS campus at Renfrew Street in Glasgow, or will take place online via a mixture of live online work via Zoom and recordings/materials submitted via Acceptd. We have many years of experience of conducting online auditions and have a well-established format and process in place, so no applicant will be disadvantaged by auditioning in this manner.

We are aware that some of these processes may be challenging just now, and therefore ask that you complete these tasks to the best of your ability. We have looked to make the audition process as accessible as possible for all applicants and we are happy to answer any queries you have that are specific to your circumstance. Questions can be sent directly to David Higham, Associate Head of Musical Theatre – D.Higham@rcs.ac.uk. 

Audition Detail

Your Musical Directing audition will be split into 3 sections, details of which are below:

Part 1

• Consultation Piano Lesson – 30 mins

Part 2

• Ensemble Singing Workshop – 25-30 mins
• Interview – 15 mins
• Coaching Session 15 min

Part 3

• Folio Submission

Part 1. Consultation Piano Lesson The candidate will be given a consultation piano lesson working through varying pieces of repertoire chosen by the candidate. This session will explore a range of varying keyboard skills through a one-to-one workshop. In-person candidates will be asked to bring a small selection of song accompaniments for this session. Online candidates will have this lesson on Zoom.

Part 2. This section will include your Workshop, the Interview, and the Coaching session.

Workshop

In-person candidates – you will be asked to lead a vocal workshop with a small group for 25